Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-04
A WHALE IN NEW YORK HARBOR.
Three Boatmen Find the Unwieldly Carcass
Near the Statue of Liberty.

Near the Statue of Liberty
Within the rays of Liberty's torch on
Liberty island early yesterday morning
says The World, three battery boatren
John LoDdrigan, Thomas Cluna, al d J ack
Riordan, found a whale. The men were
out unusually early drumming up bust
| ness. When near the statue the floating
object was observed by Riordan, who di.
rected the attention of his comrades to
it. Slowly they bore down upon it, and
to their ar1azement discovered it to be
a whale. After the excitemen of the dis.
covery subsidized the men rowed toward
the whale and Riordan pierced the ami.
mails side with boat hook. A rope was
attached to its tail and after much Difficult
ty the men succeeded in pulling 1t to
shore. In attaching the rope Riordan
fell overheard, but was soon pulled into
his boat. The shore being reached the
men fastened their prize to canal boat
at pier l and the news of the Capture
quickly sped along West street, attract
ing hundreds of people.
The captors suddenly determined to
make some money. So they charged
10 cents for look at the animal. The
iron steamboats, pier to Coney island
being III the vicinity, large number of
| the excursionists paid the fee. DURING
the time the animal was on exhibition
| the meu collected about so. A dispute
! arose over the division of the receipts, and
one of the promoters was given a bath
by his comrades, but, being an exoert
swimmer, as able to reach the adjoining
calal boat
The whale is rather small, measuring
only about thirty-fve feet in length. If
tried out" if would yield probably sever
al barrels of oil. That the whale has been
| dead for some time is plainly shown by
Its appearance. Being OF the back
species, it's color is a dark gray. The
skin Is torn and lacerated in many places
caused, probably, by coming in contact
with the wheels of passing steamers. o d
| fishermen assert that, when whale be.
comes sick, its first impulse is to reach
the land, and that is the reason for the
presence of this one in the bay. The
captain of the tug Pulver several DAYS
! ago noticed the whale in the water and
fred shot at it. But it sank for mo-
ment, and he did not make further efforts
secure it. The dock authorities, hearing
of the capture and of its being on exhibi-
ton, appeared and took charge of it.
An examination showed that the whale
was rapidly iecomposing, and, from
| sanitary motives, 1t was determined not
to permit it to remain at the warf. A tug
was secured and, before the eyes of the
men who had worked so hard to hail it
to land, their precious prize was wreste9
from them and ruthlessly carried away
After being hauled into the North rive
the dead whale was carried by the It'd
beyond Liberty, island, and then fioate,
about according TO the direction of the
tide. The last seen of it was floating near
by Governors island, and was being
watched from the barge Office by hun
dreds of people. The idea of allowing
the ifeless carcass to be floating about
right in the neighborhood of the land is
severely consured by old harbor boatmen.
Any steamer coming in collision with it
is liable to sustain serious injuries
Dan Lamont Is a typical American. He
lets his wife represent the family at church
on Sunday.